Downsizing a Business With Dignity

Downsizing a Business With DignityDownsizing a Business With DignityMake no mistake downsizing is extremely difficult. It taxes all of a management gruppes resources, including both business acumen and humanity. No one looks forward to downsizing. Perhaps this is why so many otherwise first-rate executives downsize so poorly. They ignore all the signs pointing to a layoff until its too late to plan adequately then action must be taken immediately to reduce the financial drain of excess staff. The extremely difficult decisions of who must be laid off, how much notlageice they will be given, the amount of severance pay, and how far the company will go to help the laid-off employee find another job are given less than adequate attention. unterstellung are critical decisions that have as much to do with the future of the organization as they do with the future of the laid-off employees. So what happens? These decisions are handed to the legal department, whose primary objective is to red uce the risk of litigation, not to protect the morale and intellectual capital of the organization. Consequently downsizing is often executed with a brisk, compassionless efficiency that leaves laid-off employees angry and surviving employees feeling helpless and demotivated. Helplessness is the enemy of high achievement. It produces a work environment of withdrawal, risk-averse decisions, severely impaired morale, and excessive blaming. All of these put a stranglehold on an organization that now desperately needs to excel. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Downsizing Ineffective methods of downsizing abound. Downsizing malpractices such as those that follow are common they are also inefficient and very dangerous. Allowing Legal Concerns to Design the Layoff Most corporate attorneys will advise laying off employees on a last-hired, first-fired basis across all departments. The method for downsizing that is most clearly defensible in a court of law, for example, is to lay off 10% of e mployees across all departments on a seniority-only basis. This way no employee can claim that he or she was dismissed for discriminatory reasons. Furthermore, attorneys advise against saying anything more than whats absolutely necessary to either the departing employees or the survivors. This caution is designed to protect the company from making any implied or explicit promises that arent then kept. By strictly scripting what is said about the layoffs, the company is protecting itself from verbal slips by managers who are themselves stressed at having to release valued employees. This approach may succeed from a legal perspective, but not necessarily from the larger and more important concern of organizational health. First, laying off employees by a flat percentage across different departments is irrational. How can it be that accounting can cope with the saatkorn proportion of fewer employees as human resources? Could it be that one department can be externalized and the other l eft intact? The decision of how many employees to lay off from each department should be based on an analysis of business needs, not an arbitrary statistic. The concept of laying off employees strictly on the basis of seniority is also irrational. The choice of employees for a layoff should be based on a redistribution of the work, not the date the individual employee was hired. Sometimes an employee of 18 months has a skill far more valuable than one with 18 years seniority. Giving as Little Notice as Possible Out of fear and guilt, many executives choose to give employees as little forewarning as possible about an upcoming layoff or downsizing. Managers fear that if employees know their fate ahead of time, they might become demoralized and unproductive they may even sabotage the business. However, there is no documented evidence that advance notice of a layoff increases the incidence of employee sabotage. The lack of advance notice about downsizing, however, does dramatically increase mistrust of management among surviving workers. Trust is based on mutual respect. When employees discover what has been brewing without their knowledge or input (and they will when the first person is let go), they see a blatant disrespect for their integrity, destroying trust. By not giving employees information that could be enormously helpful to them in planning their own lives, management initiates a cycle of mistrust and helplessness that can be very destructive and require years to correct. Afterward Acting as if Nothing Happened Many managers believe that after a layoff, the less said about it the better. With luck, everyone will just forget and move on. Why keep the past alive? The reality is, surviving employees will talk about whats happened whether the management team does or doesnt. The more the company tries to suppress these discussions and act as if nothing has happened, the more subversive the discussion becomes. Remaining employees will act as a conseq uence of what has happened regardless of whether the management does. Recovery from a layoff is greatly hastened if managers and employees are allowed to speak their minds freely about whats happened. In fact, it can be a great opportunity for the team of surviving employees to pull together and renew ties. When management refuses to acknowledge what has really taken place, it appears emphatically heartless, feeding the employees sense of helplessness. If management wont talk about it even after the fact, what else is it hiding? Downsize Effectively When faced with an organization that isnt functioning at optimal efficiency and thinking that a layoff is needed, there are a few key principles to keep in mind. Observing these principles wont completely eliminate the dangers of downsizing, but they will help to avoid the common pitfalls of a poorly planned layoff. Determine If the Problem Is Too Many People or Too Little Profit The critical first question to ask before any layo ff is Is the need for this layoff driven by having too many employees or too little profit? If its too little profit, this is the first warning sign that your company isnt ready for a layoff. Using a layoff solely as a cost-cutting measure is utterly foolish throwing away valuable talent and organizational learning by dumping employees only makes a bad situation worse. When your business lacks revenue, annihilating intellectual capital and thus reducing the efficiency of remaining resources as well as the potential for future growth is not the solution. If the answer is too many employees, then youve begun the process of a well-thought-out strategy for change. To legitimately determine if you have too many employees, look at the organizations business plan, not its headcount. What product and services will you be offering? Which of these products and services is likely to be profitable? What talent will you need to run the new organization? These questions will help you plan for the post-layoff future. These issues will enable a quick turnaround from the inevitable negative effects of downsizing to positive growth in value and efficiency. Determine What the Post-Layoff Company Will Look Like Having a clear, well-defined vision of the company is imperative before the layoff is executed. Management should know what it wants to accomplish, where the emphasis will be on the new organization, and what staff will be needed. Without being directed according to a clear vision of the future, the new organization is likely to carry forward some of the same problems that initially created the need for the layoff. Unfortunately, many managers underestimate the momentum of the old organization to recreate the same problems anew. Unless there is a clearly defined, shared vision of the new company among the entire management team, the past will be likely to sabotage the future and create a cycle of repeated layoffs with little improvement in organizational efficiency. Always Respect Peoples Dignity The methods employed in many poorly executed layoffs treat employees like children. Information is withheld and doled out. Managers control over their employees is violated. menschlich resource representatives scurry around from one hush-hush meeting to another. How management treats laid-off employees is how it vicariously treats remaining employees everything you do in a layoff is done in the arena, with everyone observing. How laid-off employees are treated is how surviving employees assume they may be treated. Why does this matter? Because successfully planning for the new organization will keep it going and improve its results. You must keep that exceptional talent, who are also the employees most marketable to other organizations. When they see the company treating laid-off employees poorly, theyll start looking for a better place to work, fearing their heads will be next to roll. Respect the Law While its important not to allow the legal department to design a layoff, its nevertheless important that you respect the employment laws. In different countries, such laws include entitlements tied to civil rights, age discrimination, disabilities, worked adjustment, and retraining. These laws are important and should be respected for what they intend as well as what they prescribe or proscribe. If you have planned your lay-off according to business needs, and not on headcount or seniority, you should have no problem upholding the law. You will almost always find yourself in legal trouble when you base your layoff on factors other than business needs. Good Example During the merger of BBT Financial Corporation and Southern National Corporation, redundant positions were eliminated through the strategic use of a hiring freeze. Hewlett-Packard implemented a so-called fortnight program in which all employees were asked to take one day off without pay every two weeks until business revenue increased. Bad Example of Downs izing Scott Paper conducted a layoff of 10,500 employees in the mid-1990s. In the years that followed Scott was unable to introduce any new products and saw a dramatic decrease in profitability, until it was eventually bought out by competitor Kimberly-Clark. Making it Happen Downsizing successfully is immensely difficult. The following ideas can help to focus thinking for anyone considering such a move. Treat all employees with respect.Communicate too much rather than withhold information.Research applicable laws and follow the spirit of the legislation.Afterward, give employees the psychological space to accept, and discuss, what has happened. Conclusion There are two important factors to keep in mind when planning a layoff respecting employee dignity and business planning. No one, from the mail room to the board-room, enjoys downsizing but when the need for a reduction in staff is unavoidable, a layoff can be accomplished in such a way that the problem is fixed and the o rganization excels. **Alan Downs is a management psychologist and consultant who specializes in strategic human resources planning and helping business executives reach their maximum potential. He has authored several books, including AMACOMs Corporate Executions (1995), the much-acclaimed expose on downsizing, The Seven Miracles of Management (Prentice Hall,1998), and The Fearless Executive (AMACOM 2000). Downs is widely sought for interviews by newspaper, TV, and radio broadcasts. He has also written on management topics for numerous national newspapers and trade publications, including Management Review and Across the Board.

Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman

Special Warfare Combatant-Craft CrewmanSpecial Warfare Combatant-Craft CrewmanSpecial Warfare Combatant Crewmen (SWCC) are members of the elite Naval Special Warfare Command and are responsible for conducting unconventional special operations alongside and independent of the Navy SEALs and other Special Operations Units. The SWCC crewmen drive fast speedboats down narrow, winding rivers or open ocean, transporting SEALs to and from hostile situations and operating nearly every weapon with a trigger the military has to offer. When a call comes, a boat team can form up, put a 33-foot RHIB in the back of a C-17, fly half-way around the world to a combat zone, push the boat out of the plane into the ocean and then jump in after it, wearing parachutes or fast rope, in enemy territory. SWCC missions include unconventional warfare, direct action, combating terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, information warfare, security assistance, counter-drug operations, partnel recovery, and hydrographic reconnaissance. SWCC numbers hover around 600 personnelless than 1 percent of the U.S. Navy, but they offer big dividends on a small investment. The SWCC units proven ability to operate across the spectrum of conflict and in operations other than war in a controlled manner and their ability to provide real-time intelligence and eyes on target offers decision makers a lot of options. They use craft like the Mark FIVE (MK V), the RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) and the Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R). As noted in Janes Fighting ShipsMISSION High speed, medium range, all-weather insertion/extraction of Special Operations Forces, maritime interdiction operations, tactical swimmer operations, intelligence collection, operation deception, coastal patrol, and more. Once, we were in 15- to 20-foot swells, recalled Quartermaster 1st Class (SWCC, PJ) Christopher Moore, from SBT-12. Our boat, a 24-ft. RHIB, could barely make it up the swells before the en gine would sound like it was going to die. Then we would get to the top and become a 24-ft. surfboard coming down the other side. We couldnt even keep in visual contact with our other craft. Todays Special Boat Commands and Training Three SWCC communities exist. The West Coast SWCC units are based in Coronado (SBT-12) and operate RHIBs and MK Vs. The same inventory is located at the East Coast SWCC (SBT-20) in Little Creek, Va. And down south, in Stennis, Miss., SBT-22 operates the SOC-R craft. But to get to one of these units, you must attend SWCC basic school a physically grueling indoctrination into the ways of Naval Special Warfare, portions of which are combined with SEAL pre-training. After this phase, a 22-week course, Crewman Qualification Training (CQT) course is taken. After CQT, a Sailor earns the SWCC pin a unique insignia that is worn with your regular Navy uniform and that identifies these professionals important place in Naval Special Warfare. SWCC school is extre mely tough. Similar to Navy SEAL training (BUD/S), you will never be challenged like this in your life. It is very demanding physically and mentally, and it is designed to get rid of weak individuals who are not focused and driven. In fact, only about 1/3 of those who start end up making it to the finish line and graduate. After SWCC school, graduating students arrive at a Special Boat Team where they begin an 18-month pre-deployment training cycle starting with Professional Development (PRODEV), Core Training and Squadron Interoperability Training (SIT). You have to be intelligent, good-hearted and physically and mentally tough as it takes a unique person to do our job. Being one who can adapt to new surroundings quickly and efficiently is also a requirement. Heavy weapons knowledge is also a tool of the trade. Amounted .50 caliber MSHB machine gun with PEQ TWO lasers forward on both RHIBs and a .50 caliber machine gun aft, and sometimes an MK-19 Mod 3 40 mm Grenade Machine guns ar e some of the many armament options SWCCs have on the boats. Indeed. SWCC personnel embrace a philosophy of dominance through superior firepower. During a typical SEAL extraction, the SWCC boats and crew from three other Special Operations Craft, rush into an extraction point at up to 30 knots in a hailstorm of protective fire from a trio of M-60 machine guns aft, and a thundering .50 caliber machine gun at the bow. Spent rounds bounce off the metal deck, tracers pierce the darkness, dense foliage is shredded with a barrage of cover fire, ears ring, and the thumping .50 caliber drumbeat massages insides, as dominating, incessant firepower is laid toward the enemy. SEALs board the craft, a speedy exit is made and the fire continues until they are out of sight. An extraction of this sort is measured not in minutes but in seconds. While these combatant crewmen specialize in scaring the enemy with dominating, ear-crushing, non-stop firepower, they also have the ability to be invisible, entering enemy territory undetected. Wearing night vision devices, and the MK Vs had a nifty toy called Maritime Forward Looking Infrared or MARFLIR, a thermal imaging device which lets wearers see up to two miles out on the horizon, day or night. This capability, along with the incredible acceleration, stop-on-a-dime handhabung and maneuverability give them the advantage on the water.

5 Surprisingly Productive Ways to Procrastinate Today

5 Surprisingly Productive Ways to Procrastinate Today5 Surprisingly Productive Ways to Procrastinate Today Feeling sleepy after your lunch hour? Cant imagine opening anotlageher spreadsheet, calling another client, or writing another sentence? Weve all been there. Indeed, its difficult to focus completely on one task for multiple hours at a time. But instead of scrolling through social media or staring at the ceiling, what if there were a way to procrastinate productively? Yep, it turns out that you can take time away from the task you have at hand while recharging and paving the way for future productivity. Here are five of the best secrets for being proactive during your downtime. Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions, says personal productivity expert Barbara Hemphill . Cleaning out your inbox lets you come back to all of the Ill deal with this later emails, and finally decide if theyre worth paying attention to or not. It might also be a time to deci de if youre ever going to read that newsletter you subscribed to, or if you really need email updates from your social media accounts. Crafting a clean, pared-down inbox will ultimately help you focus and respond to the messages that are actually important. 2. Watch Youtube Videos ( Think TED talks) If you really cant focus, and need a hands-off procrastination break, watching videos ansprechbar can be a great way to sit back while also learning more and gaining inspiration. Whatever your profession, there are certainly relevant videos that can help you learn more about specific aspects of your job, if you look far and wide enough. Additionally, TED talks like Sheryl Sandbergs Why we have too few women leaders or Casey Browns Know your worth, and then ask for it are relevant to any daily work life, and can offer the inspiration and motivation you need to restore productivity to your day.Not only can a software update give your phone a newfound efficiency, cleaning out unused ap ps, old photos, and archived messages can free up storage and make it easier for you to easily find what youre looking for. While youre at it, there are a variety of career-boosting and productivity-influencing apps that you can add to your phone to get the most out of your limited storage space. Going for a cup of coffee in the breakroom is one of the best ways you can proactively procrastinate. Chatting informally with your co-workers can help you work through minor problems youre having, make new connections outside of your circle, and learn more about the different facets of life at your company. Collaboration, however informal, is key to collective success. Bonding with coworkers is also a way to become more invested in your companys culture , which is critical for fostering a fulfilling workplace and a collaborative climate. A pile of last week coffee cups or a loose stack of papers cluttering your workspace can not only be distracting, but also be a hindrance to your produ ctivity. Cleaning your desk can be a satisfying way to bring some peace to your workspace and peace of mind. While youre at it, another way to take a break from working is to decorate your desk or workspace with photos, quotes, or anything else that will inspire you when you look up from your work.